StrangeTony,
Gentiva CEO Tony Strange was effusive in his praise for senior leaders in the company's last earnings call:
I think they have done yeoman's work in getting out ahead of the costs on the cost side of One Gentiva. So I think from a cost perspective, I would tell you that we are where we expected to be or even further along from where we expected to be.
Those on the inside know One Gentiva cost cutting did not slow in the third quarter. In fact it accelerated. The company decimated our site, a serious blow given the ongoing trauma inflicted by our Branch Manager. We no longer give exceptionally good care and for that I grieve.
Due diligence is the period where reductions are made so the new owner doesn't look like the bad guy. It puts the company in a position to pay higher interest expenses on an ongoing basis, assuming revenues don't drop.
Think of it like a new home where the buyer takes on a bigger mortgage. Without more income something has to be cut to fund the increased house payment. It could be food, electricity, clothing, whatever. In Gentiva's case it's anything and everything. Leaders are cutting expenses willy-nilly.
One Gentiva continues to shed employees, some completely while others face hour reductions. The company expects savings.
Any employee wanting to put a dent in those savings and help themselves at the same time should explore unemployment benefits. It varies by state but consider this advice from 2009:
Karin Patrick of Roseville works for a small non-profit agency and it's not doing well. Patrick's hours were cut from five days a week to three. A colleague, however, was laid off.
So, Patrick decided to see what the state could offer her if she eventually gets laid off too. What she found was that she didn't have to wait, she could apply for benefits right now.
"That was a big surprise," she said. "I'd never heard that."
Lee Nelson of the state's Department of Employment and Economic Development - or DEED - said placards in workplaces describing unemployment benefits clearly say that you can get state help if your hours are reduced.
"I don't think in anyway it's hidden from people. You won't find it on a billboard anywhere," he said.
Gentiva buys unemployment insurance and the more people that use it, the more Gentiva will pay in the future. This may be an option for those who've been laid off or had their hours reduced. Think about it if you've been harmed in the latest round of cuts. You could help yourself and thumb corporate chiefs simultaneously. That's not a bad bargain.
Q3 ends in a few hours. How will this nefarious crew torment employees in Q4?
Anonymous (from Gentiva)
Had our team meeting at the KC FSU today. Director and manager said they don't know anything about if we been sold or not and not sure who started spreading that rumor. A supervisor who had just come from a meeting with the director and manager that's who! And a lady from corporate HR is in the building today. That's odd. That NEVER happens. In today's meeting we were told that they knew many are unhappy especially about the raises (not getting any) and they'll be talking to the HR lady while she's here. Should we hold our breath? And we were told that if we are unhappy we should come to them and talk to them about it. Ha ha ha. Who knew they had such comedic talent? Puh leez! Everyone who has left and is leaving HAS talked to them many times. All management does is make excuses for bad behavior. Oh and another person quit last Friday without notice. And another turned in her two week notice today. Gentiva, too little too late.
ReplyDeleteAt my site they use HR to identify the "problem employees." Gentiva's Human Abuse Department does not see employees with legitimate concerns, they see trouble makers or people with negative attitudes.
ReplyDeleteWorking for a bully boss takes it's toll. It is very difficult to share one's story of abuse, as the intrusions are repeated and go deeper each time. It's predictable an abused employee might become emotional, expressing sadness, anger, fear, etc.
The bully will initially remain calm and act like, "Who me?" Their defense will be "I'm only being a good leader." They'll say to HR, "I'm calm and this person is a mess." So HR, aka HA, casts the employee as a nutcase and lables the leader outstanding. Never mind that turnover is huge and that other employees cited serious concerns about that manager's bullying, discriminatory behavior and not following policies.
Apparently no one reads the post employment surveys, letters, complaints or non-compliance reports. Our site has learned not to talk to HR. The greatest abuse comes when the sheriff says the beatings will continue until morale improves.
I made the call HR mistake. I learned that their job is to protect the company from their employees. I dont know if Tony, Jeff etc... have any idea what employees really feel about the company, or what their regional and area leadership know or do for the company. Under their leadership, patient care quickly took a back seat to the bottom line. The committed caregivers who work TONS of hours without pay are the ones always putting pts first. I am from hospice side and we work 10, 12 hour days 6 days a week sometimes. But we dont claim it for fear of getting in trouble or getting our managers in trouble. The only good thing is that we can sleep at night with a clear conscience. But I will say this.... many MANY employees are happy to be bought by Kindred. That speaks volumes!!
ReplyDeleteHow would Tony, Jeff, etc. know how employees feel? They never asked in my tenure with the company. Everybody is surveyed, patients, doctors, nursing home administrators, but employees? No.
ReplyDeleteAll that work off the clock is illegal for hourly folks, but clinical people at our site do it to meet their professional responsibilities, to fulfill their license, Tell the higher ups about it and they pull out the discipline whip. This creates a double bind where employees are damned if they provide care without reporting it or damned if they have to leave patients who need their assistance to stay within declared mandates. I shared this with a counselor friend and they said, "You are in a sick system. You have no one to go to. The sickness is at all levels. The sad part is they cannot hear you."